Breach Baby

My understanding is that some breech babies turn around by the time they are 36 weeks but if they are still in the breech position at full term then I think they would do a c section as it is very risky as they may get stuck going through the birth canal.

Hi Spencer was breech and was born by c/s.
Some docs will not even entertain the idea of birthing naturally and others will give you the choice. I was told I could if I wanted to but they strongly suggested I didn't as it was my first and the birth canal has not been tested. With subsequent births they don't mind which you choose as research has shown birthing a breech baby naturally is no more dangerous than having a c/s. But again that was just my experience with one particular doc, others might not even like you to with subsequent babies.

There is a procedure called an ECV (i think) where they can turn baby by manipulating from the outside but that is something they would talk over with you and has its own pros and cons and also isn't always an option. I was told no as my waters had already ruptured and they were worried he could end up transverse which is much worse than breech.

Your midwife will keep an eye on babies position and if necessary send you for a scan later on to check position.

Most turn though so I wouldnt' worry too much about it, this baby is breech and even though Spencer was breech the odds are this one will turn the right way in the end.

Hey Dana

Check with your Mum if she had any breech babies.

My wee man is breech too & get this my brother was breech & also my Mum's brother was breech. All born naturally. Three generations of woman who have got breech boys

My mum did a lot of lying on the bed with her legs on the bed & her arms on the floor reading a book to turn my brother in the last few weeks.

I was worried about it to as I'd prefer to labour naturally but look on the bright side...we get another scan later on

An elective c/s can be a really positive experience, just a different experience to a natural birth. I won't be at all upset if I have to have another this time around as well, although part of me is curious about the whole pushing one out thing. But then another part of me would quite like to never risk tearing my girly bits

My cousin was breech and born naturally, they didn't know he was breech until his bum starting crowning though so was a bit late by then.

My girl is breech at the moment and my midwife just said they are always doing summersaults anyway at this stage(22weeks) but I can feel that she is still in the breech position by where I feel her move and kick so I've been wondering the same things.

At least there's a few of us with the same thing due in Jan so we can support each other

My boy turned at 34ish weeks, I could see it happening and it was painful but he DID turn. He was breech right from the beginning (transverse).

WRXandJosh on here gave birth to a footling breech with minimal pain relief as they didn't realise until a foot came out.

What will be will be I guess but usually they discuss the next step at about 34 weeks, book you in for ECV at 37-38 weeks and if that doesn't work a c-section will be booked usually before your due date so you don't go into labour.

CWH are happy to if it is a sebsequent birth, or at least the doc I saw was. They didn't want me to as it was my first and I took their advice, in hindsight with him being so small he probably would have fit through my pelvis no trouble at all.
At the end of the day it is your baby and your choice, they can't force you to have a c/s if you don't want one, and as this is your third baby they will probably be quite open to the idea of your birthing naturally still. The doc I had said researchs shows that birthing a breech baby naturally is no more dangerous than having a c/s, it's just with first babies that more things are likely to go wrong so a c/s does become the safer option.

I guess being my first, the worry of the unknown is what would be the scary part. I'm coming up 21 weeks so more than likely she'll turn but I am going to make it clear to my MW that I want the call made for a C section early rather than later. To tell you the truth, i'm not phased either way as long as she is healthy and not put at risk. What will be will be.   I lived with my sister when she had 3 C sections in a row. It doesn't look nice but it was safer for all of her babies.

Do many women feel like less of a mother for not having a natural birth? That thought never entered my mind but I could understand how some women could struggle with the decision.    

I had my 20wk scan today and my baby is also breech at the moment. Doc didn't seem too fussed at all said he will probably move soon enough. He's moving around LOADS so I hope that's the case

You're right, Dana, it will be interesting to see how everyone else goes with this .. keep us posted

I think most OB's err on the side of caution with primips (first time mothers) if baby is presenting breech, but most will allow an attempt at a VB for subsequent pregnancies, the irony of which is that first babies are more likely to be breech than subsequents.

It depends on the presentation too. Extended breech (bum first with legs up) is fairly straight forward as the bum can't be delivered till full dilatation and the rest usually follows soon after. Footling breech is much riskier and most won't attempt a VB with a known footling presentation as the feet can come down before full dilatation and the rest of the body can't fit out till full dilatation. It has been done tho (as Emz said, WRXandJosh had a footling VB). Kneeling breech is a no go for a VB as is transverse - it just doesn't work!

Oh and with twins they will usually do an elective if the leading twin is breech, but if the leading twin is cephalic and the following twin breech they will let you trial a VB as the breech twin will often either turn spontaneously or be able to be manually turned after the first is delivered.